Rotatable calendar stand



Feb. 26, G A, ROTATABLE CALENDAR STAND Filed March 29. 1955 INVENTORG/Le's 5,4145

United States Patent 2,782,539 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 free ROTATABLECALENDAR STAND Giles A. Baker, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Pyro Plastics Corporation, Union,

Application March 29, 1955, Serial No. 497,690

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-111) The present invention is directed to stands, moreparticularly to a stand of relatively small size which is adapted to beplaced upon a desk or the like and to contain a rotatable cylinderemploying a calendar or other printed matter.

Calendar stands or holders have been known and used. Some of them havecertain disadvantages in that it is difficult to change the calendarwithout removing some elements in order to make the change. Others arecomplicated in construction and are relatively costly. Still others areunsightly in appearance or bulk.

The present invention is intended and adapted to provide a combinationholder or stand and rotatable cylinder for calendars and the like, whichcombination is relatively small, is of simple construction, has but fewparts and is inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a standwhich is attractive in appearance, the cylinder of which is refillableor replaceable, which is easy to assemble and in which the calendar orother data is given protection against outside influences such as dirt,water or the like.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide astand which is stable and has no tendency to be overturned even whenaccidentally moved, and which may have advertising or other matter onthe rear face thereof, with a calendar or the like on the front face.

In practicing the present invention there is provided a hollow bodywhich is triangular in cross-section and is elongated so that it mayrest on one of its faces on a desk or the like. The front face, whichslopes rearwardly, has a substantially rectangular opening across theface thereof. A hollow cylinder of transparent material, such as asynthetic resinous composition, may itself be printed or lithographed ormay carry on the inner face thereof a body or sheet containing printedor like matter such as a calendar, baseball schedule, technicalinformation, pictorial matter, decimal equivalents, and others. Thecylinder is mounted within the stand in such a manner that a smallportion thereof, usually about one-fourth, extends outwardly beyond theface of the stand so as to expose to ready view the calendar or othermaterial, which becomes readily visible. The ends of the cylinder aresupported within the body of the holder so that it may be rotated bypressure of a finger on the exposed portion of the cylinder, thusprogressively exposing the remaining three-fourths of the cylinder andthe printed material thereon or therein.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which likereference characters indicate like parts,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a calendar stand or holder made inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the several elements indetached positions;

Fig. 5 is a bottom elevational view thereof, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 ofFig. 2.

The triangular hollow body or stand has a front face 1, through whichthe data such as a calendar can be viewed and on which face advertisingor other matter may be placed, and a rear face 2 on which advertising orother matter may also be placed. The triangular body rests upon itsbottom 3. Ends 4 and 5 complete the structure, which is generally moldedintegrally as a single unit having an open bottom. In the front face 1is a longitudinal opening 6 having flanges 7 and 8 along the upper andlower edges of said opening. At the ends of the opening are extensions 9and 10 which are arcuate in shape to conform with the shape of thecylinder. Similarly, flanges 7 and 8 are arcuate.

Cylinder 11, made of transparent material, has ends 12 and 13 which maybe held therein by'friction, or permanently by cementing. Within thecylinder is a sheet of paper or the like 14 containing, for example, onits outer face a twelve-month calendar, as shown in Fig. 1, whereinthree months are shown in alinement, or having thereon other data, asabove mentioned.

Extending downwardly from within the apex of the stand are stop members15 and 16, near the ends 4 and 5, respectively; the lower edges of whichare curved to conform with the shape of cylinder 11. Slightly above thebottom of faces 1 and 2 adjacent to the ends thereof are pairs of ledgesor seats 18 and 19 slightly raised above bottom 3, and having anupstanding stop 17. Two flat springs 20, one at each end of the stand,have central arcuate portions 21 adapted to conform with the shape ofcylinder 11. One end 22 thereof is adapted to fit over seat 18 andagainst stop 17, and the other end 23 thereof is adapted to fit overseat 19 and against its stop 17 at each end of the stand. Below seats 18and 19 are a pair of lateral projections 25 and 26 having a recesstherebetween. A bottom plate 24 is inserted in the recess betweenprojections 25 and 26 and snapped into place and held in position by theinherent resiliency of plate 24, which may be printed or embellished.

In assembling the stand, cylinder 11 with its associated parts is pushedup into place against stop members 15 and 16 and into opening 6. Theneach of springs 20 is pressed against cylinder 11 and deformed so thatit rides over seats 18 and 19.

Upon release of the springs, cylinder 11 is held firmly in positionagainst flanges 7 and 8, extensions 9 and 10, stops 15 and 16 andarcuate portion 21 of spring 20.

With the calendar in position as shown in Fig. 1, when it is desired tochange the month, the thumb or finger is pressed down upon the exposedface of cylinder 11 and by movement upwardly or downwardly, the cylinderis rotated and the new portion having three months in alinement isexposed to view. When it is desired to change the sheet 14 containingthe calendar, bottom 24 is re moved, springs 20 are slipped out ofplace, causing cylinder 11 to drop out. Then, as the case may be, one ofends 12 and 13 of the cylinder may be removed, sheet 14 slipped out anda new sheet introduced therein. Or, in the alternative, a new cylindermay replace the one which has been removed. Such a cylinder may belithographed or printed or may have a sheet inserted therein.

There are a number of advantages inherent in the present invention inthat the device is small and compact, is of unusual shape and isattractive in appearance. The construction is simple and it is easy tochange the calendar or other materials or to insert other data which maybe referred to by the user. When sheets 14 are used, the calendar orother data is protected from outside influences since it is behind theplastic protective cylinder. The stand itself is sturdy, and is stablesince it has a wide base. It lends itself to various uses andreplaceable cylin ders or data may be inserted "according to the needsof the user.

Although the invention has been described setting forth a singlespecific embodiment thereof, the invention is not to be limited theretoas various changes in the details may be made within the principlesherein set forth. For instance, the stand need not be triangular in endview, corners may be rounded and sizes and shapes of the severalelements may be varied to suit conditions. The cylinder may be alteredso that one or both ends are omitted and other means provided forprotecting sheet 14. If the interior of the cylinder carries the printedmatter, no ends are necessary. More or less than one-fourth of thecylinder may be exposed through opening 6. While it is preferred thatthe stand and certain of the associated elements be integrally formed,they may be assembled from various parts, and'any suitable materials maybe used.

These and other changes in the details may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, which is to be broadly construed, andto be limited only by the character of the claims appended hereon.

I claim:

1; A stand for calendars and the like comprising a body having a slopingfront face, an opening across said face, a cylinder mounted for rotationand pivoted within said body, data on said cylinder visible through saidopening, said cylinder being so positioned that a minor portion thereofextends outwardly beyond said face, arcuate extensions at the ends ofsaid opening into which the ends of said cylinder fit, flanges along thetop and bottom edges of said opening extending outwardly and supportingsaid cylinder, and means in said body at the ends thereof supporting theends of said cylinder.

2. A stand for calendars and the like comprising a body having a slopingfront face, an opening across said face,

a cylinder mounted for rotation and pivoted within said body, data onsaid cylinder visible through said opening,

said cylinder being so positioned that a minor portion thereof extendsoutwardly beyond said face, and means in said body at the ends thereofsupporting the ends of said cylinder, pairs of opposed ledges in saidbody at the ends of said body, said means being a pair of flat springseach having its ends on each pair of said ledges.

3. A stand for calendars and the like comprising a body having a slopingfront face, an opening across said face, a cylinder mounted for rotationand pivoted within said body, data on said cylinder visible through saidopening, said cylinder being so positioned that a minor portion thereofextends outwardly beyond said face, .and means in said body at the endsthereof supporting the ends of said cylinder, pairs of opposed ledges insaid body at the ends of said body,said. means being a pair of flatsprings each having its ends on each pair of said ledges, said ledgesterminating short of the base of said body, and a bottom sheet held insaid base below said ledges.

' 4. A stand for calendars and the like comprising a body having asloping front face, an opening across said face, a cylinder mounted forrotation and pivoted within said body, data on said cylinder visiblethrough said opening, said cylinder being so positioned that a minorportion thereof extends outwardly beyond said face, and means in saidbody at the ends thereof supporting the ends of said cylinder, thebottom of said body being open, shoulders in the corners of said body atthe bottom thereof and a bottom plate adapted to be locked in place bysaid shoulders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.19,593 Hansen May 28, 1935 841,800 Metcalfe Jan. 22, 1907 2,356,107Vogel Aug. 15, 1944 2,553,163 Berg Feb. 24, 1947 2,562,851 Withrow July31, 1951

